MANCHESTER United suffered Champions League heartbreak in Rome as Barcelona eased to victory at the Stadio Olimpico.

Samuel Eto'o put Barca into an early lead before little Lionel Messi rose to head home Xavi's cross in the second half.

The Reds struggled to contain Barcelona's midfield trio of Xavi, Messi and Andres Iniesta, with a flurry of early chances for Cristiano Ronaldo the best they could offer.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side disappointingly fell well short of becoming true European legends and entering the Champions League Hall of Fame as their compelling dream to be the first European Cup winners in the modern era to win the trophy in successive campaigns ended in tears and regrets.
 
Their Catalan opponents didn’t have the weight of potential history weighing them down and on the night it looked like that was another major ace for them to call upon.
 
Just like United the Reds' inspirational figure Cristiano Ronaldo ran out of steam on what looked like was going to be his platform for greatness.
 
In the city where the Christians used to be thrown to the Lions this was aptly billed as Cristian versus Lion - or in other words Cristiano Ronaldo against Lionel Messi.

And the 2008 World’s number one and number two certainly lived up to their pre-match focus on two sublime gifted players with the quality to mesmerise.
 
It’s a privilege to watch when such talent graces Europe’s biggest club stage and actually lives up to the hype.

Sport

They enjoyed their gruesome ‘sport’ down the road in the Colisseum thousands of years ago when togas not football shirts were the costume choice of the spectators.
 
But this was true sport. Two of the finest club sides on the planet and the supreme powers in the two elite leagues of Europe with their two major gladiators calling on their very best to inspire.

And it looked for all the world in the opening to this spectacle that it would be United’s Ronaldo - officially the best on the globe - who would answer the pre-match debates as to who was the numero uno.

He certainly had the bit between his teeth as he stormed into the first exchanges intent on proving that the Ballon D’or and the FIFA World Player of the Year honours would take some snatching from his grasp.

He dominated the stats as he crashed in a dipping, swirling free kick in the opening minute that Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes managed to stop with his forearm and then saw it bounce away off his knee before it was cleared.
 
Another 35-yard attempt at replicating his stunner in Oporto last month was a whisker away from glory before he swept a right footer just inches past the post.
 
Ronaldo was on top and United were in the driving seat. The Spaniards hadn’t even registered a shot. Messi was just an onlooker in the Ronaldo show.

Record-breaking
 
United had set so much store by their record-breaking defence keeping quiet a Barca attack that had amassed an astonishing 150-plus goals haul in their campaign.
 
But at the critical point the immovable object was brushed aside by the irresistible force. Iniesta rounded the defensive guard of Michael Carrick and Samuel Eto’o did for the Reds player of the season Nemanja Vidic. Edwin Van der Sar was also culpable as the Barca striker struck it was an all round catastrophe for the European Champions.
 
It was the cue Messi needed to dominate and the Argentine was roaming free between United’s midfield and the defence. For the neutral it was a wonderful answer to Ronaldo’s initial super show. For United fans it was an uncomfortable reply.
 
But the Reds had been here before on this stage against Bayern Munich and Chelsea when their opponents had their tails up and looked likely to end United’s Euro dreams.
 
Fergie’s answer for the now desperate need for further inspiration was to withdraw the ineffective Anderson at half time and sling on recent super sub Carlos Tevez for what could be his swansong.

But just as the Germans had done in ‘99 in Spain and the Londoners did 12 months ago in Russia Barcelona rattled the Reds woodwork when Xavi slammed his free kick against the post to emphasise that another improbable major comeback was going to be called for.
 
But when Ronaldo and Messi vacated centre stage and their early individual showdown faded it was sadly Pep Guardiola’s team who had the deputies in their ranks to take over the baton.

Value
 
While the likes of Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Tevez were struggling to make an impact Xavi, Iniesta, Henry and Eto’o had no trouble accepting the call to arms.

But nobody ever dare write United's epitaph too soon whether it be in the Premier League or the European Cup. There is always a sting in the tail from the Reds isn’t there?
 
Fergie went for broke and an attacking force with a market value of around £150m joined forces when Dimitar Berbatov replaced Park.

But the Bulgarian was only four minutes on the pitch before that was cruelly rendered ineffective.

Once again it was United’s much championed rearguard who failed to provide their forwards with a platform for recovery. Xavi’s 70th minute cross picked out Messi’s run into space and one of the smallest men on the pitch Messi stole between two giants in Ferdinand and O’Shea to loop a header over Van der Sar.
 
Messi had had the final decisive input into this occasion and he had sadly eclipsed Ronaldo in the shoot-out.

Even for a side of United’s undeniable ability to create impossible triumph out of adversity 20 minutes to rescue their Champions League trophy against a Barcelona side enjoying such supremacy was a task beyond this incredible Old Trafford side.
 
They were etching Barcelona’s name on the trophy even before the final whistle blew in Italy.

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